Sixfold III: With Raspberries
West Sixth Brewing Company

Just as the Belgians have a love affair with fruit and beer combinations, that flirtation is fully explored by the West Sixth brewery as they take their rustic, funky and fauna filled farmhouse ale and apply ample amounts of raspberries for added succulence and brightness.

Their raspberry infused Sixfold III rendition pours a light and hazy ruby with a sparkling rose wine effervescence. Its sligth pink sea foam comes to life with a tangy perfume of berries, faint hay, citrus, wine must, cork and oak. Its taste is modestly sweetened with light biscuit, honey and grain.

As the flavors develop across the middle palate, its fruitiness reveals a cidery taste of apple, a vinous taste of grape and a hint of grapefruit, honeydew, kiwi and gooseberry as the taste tightens and its raspberry tartness builds in. Its finish is lightly bittered with citrus peel, berry seed, straw, grass and white pepper with an undertow of burlap and dark fruit.

Medium-light in its body, the beer's wheaten sweetness dissolves and the pepper and rose wine character wins out in the beer's texture. Its spicy finish commands the balance while the powder-fine texture of wild yeast brings a balsa, fruit tartness and cork-like aftertaste through its drying effervescence.